Why You Should Be Wary Of Early Car Accident Settlement Offers

If you have been in a car accident in Wisconsin, you may receive a car accident settlement offer from the insurance company responsible for covering the accident claim. Many Wisconsin drivers are eager to put the accident behind them and are willing to accept the offer without verifying that it will cover all of their anticipated expenses related to the accident. This can be problematic if it turns out that the offer does not cover all of your expenses because once you accept a settlement offer you cannot go back later and seek more compensation.

Beware Initial Car Accident Settlement Offers

Initial settlement offers seldom cover all of the costs associated with a car accident. This happens for many reasons. To begin with, the insurance company may be trying to keep costs down and hope that by making you an offer before too much time has passed, you will accept it without realizing it is not enough to cover your costs.

Another reason those early offers are almost always too small is exactly that not enough time has passed. It is unlikely that you have reached maximum medical improvement by the time an early offer is made. If you have not yet undergone all of your medical care, the offer cannot cover all of your costs because you don’t know the total amount of the costs of care.

A third factor to consider is the loss of future earnings or wages. If you miss work due to injury, are unable to perform your job and must change jobs or lose your job or ability to work at all, you lose income. A larger settlement amount will help cover those types of unexpected losses.

Other costs such as home modifications or equipment that you will need to recover or function in the future or travel costs to and from medical appointments should also be accounted for in the settlement.

Finally, non-economic damages, including pain and suffering, are likely not included in the initial offer. These are real costs that can have an economic impact on your life and should be accounted for in any offer accepted.

Strengthen Your Claim With Help From Eisenberg Law Offices

The list above covers just a few of the most common factors you will want to have covered by a car accident settlement claim. The Wisconsin car accident attorneys at Eisenberg Law Offices can help you evaluate settlement offers, file a personal injury claim and collect evidence to increase the value of your claim, and avoid mistakes and missteps that could damage your claim.

Contact our team to arrange a free consultation with a Wisconsin car accident settlement attorney. Call 608-256-8356 or email info@eisenberglaw.org to schedule.